Improvement in apparatus for bending and folding paper collars



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

IVILLIAM E. L'JOKVVOOD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APARATUS FOR BENDING AND FOLDING PAPER COLLARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44640. dated Octoberll, 186i.

To all whom it mwy eww-erro:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. Locri- WOOD, of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement iu Apparatus for Bending andFolding Shirt-Collars; and [do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in the machine for bending andfolding paper collars, for which Letters Patent were granted to me asassignee of John F. Schuyler on the 24th day of February, 1863; and myimprove ment consists in the use, substantially as describedhereinafter, of two rollersone having a concave and the other a convexsurface-in combination with a reciprocating plate, so that the line inwhich the fold is made shall be curved instead of straight, a collarthus folded having a tendency to bend oi' itselfand thus more readilyconform to the shape ofthe wearers neck without that puckering which isapt to take place in collars folded in a straight line.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthisspeciiication, Figure 1 is a sectional view ofthe front end of thesaid patented machine with my improvements, Fig. 2, a transversesectional elevation on the line l 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a view of a collarprior to its being bent; Fig. 4, a modified view of the rollers, andFig. 5 a diagram illustrating part of my improvements.

In the manufacture of ordinary linen collars, of the turn-downl or Byronclass, it has been usual for some years past to make them of two pieces,a and b, Fig. 3, stitched together, the line on which this junction ofthe two pieces is made being curved, as shown at x, and the hempresenting a curved ridge, which serves to guide the dresser ofthecollar who turns the portion a over the portion b, the bend being madeon the line ofthe ridge. Owing to this arrangement, the collar, whenfolded and ironed, has a tendency to bend of itselfand to approximate inform to that which it has to assume on being applied to the wearersneck. v

In the above-mentioned patented machine the paper blanks were submittedto the action of steam, which reduced them to such a moist and pliablecondition that they could be readily bent and folded without breakingand crumpling the paper. The blanks were the-n pushed toward a pair ofrolls by means ot' areciprocating serrated plate, which struck eachblank at the part where the collar had to be bent and forced ii betweenthe converging surfaces oll the rolls, the line of the. bend beingstraight as the rollers and the blade in the said m chinc were straight5 hence the folded collars were flat and had to be subjected to amoldingl process, in order to impart to them a shape approximating tothat which they have subsequently to assume on being applied to thewearers neck, a shape which in the oldfashioned linen collars had beenpreviously acquired by makingl the bend in a curved line.

ln the drawings, A represents the base-plate of my improved apparatus;B, part of the side frames, and U the serrated plate, which tits inguidingslots in the frame and to which a horizontal reciprocating motionis imparted, as in the aforesaid patented machine.

D and D are two rollers turning in the frame and so geared together asto revolve in the direction pointed out by the arrows. rl`he surface ofthe upper roller, D, is rounded and that of the lower roller concave,the concavity of one roller conforming to the convexity of the other.

The paper blank to be converted into a folded collar is caused to fallwith its Vlower edge on a suitable stop or ledge, as described in myaforesaid patent, and While in a vertical position is struck by theserrated edge of the reciprocating-plate, which bends the collar andpushes the bent portion of the same between the converging surfaces ofthe two rollers which complete the fold.

It will be observed that the plate C is bent to conform to therollers-that is to say, the upper surface is made concave to suit theconcavity of the roller D, and the under surface convex to conform withthe convexity of the roller D'. Owing to this arrangement theline ofthebend in the folded collar must be in a curve corresponding with that ofthe rollers and blade, and this curve will cause the folded collar toassume the bent form best adapted to that of the wearers neck. At thesame time the puckers, which take place in' ordinary collars folded witha straight bend, are obviated.

A result approximating to that described may be arrived at by making therollers of the modied form represented in Fig. 4. the serrated platebeing made to correspond with the rollers. 1, however, prefer the formof rollers represented in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be observed that the surface of the lower roller, D', is cutaway atone point to a limited extent, the portion thus cnt away be inguppermost when the plate C approaches the limit of its forward movement,so that an opening, y, Fig. 5, is presented between the rollers forreceiving the bent edge of the collar. This opening does not extendthroughout the length of the rollers, but is such that the collar, as itis seized by therollers, will be held by the same at the opposite ends,while the middle passes freely into the space between the rollers. Bythis arrangement thc collar more :readily conforms to the shape of therollers, without being puckered.

Therollersinstead of revolving continuously may be so geared together asto stop for an instant while the collar is being thrust in between them.

I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Theuse of two rollers, one having a concave and the other a convex surface,in combination with a.- reciprocating plate, G, of a form correspondingwith that of the rollers, substantially as and for the purpose hereinset forth.

2. Cutting awa)7 the circumference of one or both vof the rollers at onepoint, in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. LOUKWOOD.

Witnesses:

GHARLEs E. Fos'rnn, J oHN WHITE.

